Auxiliary typographical casting machine



July 11, 1961 Filed F eb. 1:5, 1959 J. a. FONTAS AUXILIARY TYPOGRAPHICALCASTING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1- lnvemor JEAN aAsroN Poms by PMAzlomeys July 11, 1961 J FONTAS 2,991,873

AUXILIARY TYPOGRAPHICAL CASTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 13, 1959 6Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvemor JEAN 645m FolvrAs a /wwv m After/23y:

July 11, 1961 J. G. FONTAS AUXILIARY TYPOGRAPHICAL CASTING MACHINE 6Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 15, 1959 Fig. 8

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July 11, 1961 J. G. FONTAS 2,991,873

AUXILIARY TYPOGRAPHICAL CASTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 13, 1959 6Sheets-Sheet 6 III I I Illlll llllllllliML illilllllllll II III IIlllllll L lnvcmor JEAN aAsra/v FOA/7J45 United States Patent ceAUXILIARY TYPOGRAPHICAL CASTING I MACHINE Jean Gaston Fontas, 18 RueThier's, Perigueux, France Filed Feb. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 793,132 Claimspriority, application France Feb. 14,1958 8 Claims. (Cl. 199-47) One ofthe essential parts in typographical printing plants is the handcomposing room. in which. a typographer places in the gathering frameofthe page to be printed the elements of page.

Most of these pages, particularly pages of newspapers and periodicals,catalogues and advertising notices, commercial papers such as writingpaper,invoices, statements include elements which vary very much innature and sizes, particularly texts in letters of small or mean bodysizes, titles in types of more or less large size, advertisements andnot-ice boards with various arrangements, for instance with fancy linesor rules to frame them or to part the columns and partitions:

2,991,873. Patented July I1,

machine. A broad description of this kind of stereotype apparatus may befound in the text book entitled; Linotype Machine Principles, publishedby the Mergenthaler Linotype Company, Brooklyn, N.Y. attempt has beenquite satisfactory but, of co rse, the

. invention can be carried into effect with. any steredty-lif ingmechanism including several casting boxes, Also, the device for thetransferring and removal of the set of matrices may differ from thedescribed type.

It is not necessary to here in detail the stereotype apparatus of aLinotype, Roughly the apparatus consists of a heated pot containing 6.liquid printers metal, a pot pump plunger and .a idisd provided withseveral casting boxes ,(four to six). Each casting box is constituted.by a channel of a parallelism:

pedic section, which crosses through the thickness of the all theseelements have different sizes and patterns; they I are separated fromeach other by blank spaces having different thicknesses and lengths.

The other departments of the printing plant are requested to supply thetypographer very fast with these van'ed elements, so as not to delay hiscomposition work.

The line block-s, of small or medium body size, are cast in Linotypemachines. The large size types are to be chosen in numerous collectionsof printing types, which are very clostly and wear out fast or are to becast, by means of matrices, in auxiliary typographical casting machines:a special casting machine is also required to obtain the varied lines,rules and blankspaces.

The hereafter described invention relates to a single auxiliarytypographical casting machine which allows to obtain very rapidly, bymeans of a limited collection of matrices of the varied large sizebodies and of the varied lines, rules and blank spaces, printing types,independent or in line-blocks, and also lines, rules and blank spaces ofany size, suflicient for all usual requirements.

This casting machine is characterized in that it includes in combinationa hand composing outfit to collect the sets of matrices and a stereotypeoutfit with several casting boxes of varied sizes.

The diversity'of the casting boxes meets the diversity of the Works to'be'done so that, according to its sizes, each set of matrices canimmediately be sent to the suitable casting box. The auxiliary castingihachihes, for the present, are provided with a single casting box, thusbringing about a great loss of time for the adjustment of the sizes ofthis single casting box according to the sizes of the set of matrices.

Other advantages,- later mentioned, result also from this combination.

According to the preferred form of enibodi-ment, the casting machineincludes, on the one hand, a hand com= posing stic and a stationarytable fitted to receive the matrices the spacebands separating the wordsin said hand composing stick and, on the other hand, a device (known perse, particularly for Linotypes and similar machines) intended tostereotype, a mould disc provided with several moulds of dilferentsizes, and a device for the transference of the set of matrices from thestationary table up to the rnouth of the casting box in use and theremoval of the matrices and the line-block.

By way of example, a form of embodiment of this auxiliary castingmachine is described hereafter with reference to the annexed drawings.This machine has been built a conveniently modified stereotype outfitprovided with a mould disk as used in a Linotype wheel and opens at bothends. At the appointed time, on the one hand, the movable head of theelevatrii (containing the set of matrices of the line to be cast broughtdown at the end of its vertical passage wayion the other hand, theinjection inlet the melted metal in the pot are brought into contactwith the open ends of the casting box in use. Thereby,-line-blocks areobtained, the basis of which has a thickness corresponding to the bodyof the types in the line. 7

According to the form of embodiment hereafter described, the auxiliarycasting machine. includes, as a transferring mechanism for the set ofmatrices, a tilting shelf, in prolongation of the hand composing tableand bearing rails upon which slides a hand driven carriage; this shelfcan be brought inthe plane of the composing table to receive thecarriage the set oimatrices, the carriage being provided with members tohold the set in position: when the shelf has been tilted down in avertical position, these members transfer the set thrcu a horizontalpassage-way in the elevator head. p I FIGURES 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 illustratedinfront longitudinal elevation the auxiliary casting machine, a set-ofmatrices being shown in five positions in succession: I

(a) On the composing table, when starting from the hand composing stick,a I (b) On the tilting shelf, I

(c) On same shelf after setting the fixation members, (d) Partly drivenin the horizontal transferring pass sage-way, j (e) Nearly entirelydriven in the carriage of the elevator of the stereotype outfit. I

FIGURE 6 is a view in longitudinal front elevation, at a larger scale,of the carriage with its control device, FIGURES 7 and 8 arerespectively vertical and cross sections, along lines VlI--VII andVIIIVIII of FIG- URE 6. I

FIGURES 9, 10, 11 are detailed views, at a larger scale, of a safetydevice preventing any wrong move of the transferring carriage during thestereotyping process, FIGURE 12 is a front elevational view of the moulddisc of the auxiliary casting machine, which is not ens tirely visibleon FIGURES 1 to 5, said disc bein'g'fsup; posed to be separated from themachine. FIGUREfli is a side view of the mould disc, showing the ejectofdevice for the stereotyped line-block. I

A slightly slanting assembly in the shape of a desk, including astationary composing table 2 and a self contained shelf 3 which can betilted down from position in prolongation of the composing table 2 tothe v'ef-i tical position, is set upon the frame 1 of the machine, atthe end oppositeto the stereotype outfit. v

The stationary composing table 2 is provided on its' rear edge with aslide 5 upon which is placed 'the of matrices 31, with space bands 10to' keep apart the words, said set coming from a hand composingd= vice(not shown). A push rod 32, integral with a block 6'sliding in guides 30on the table 2, allows to push the combined matrices and space-bands 31towards the next post.

At the end of the fixed composing table 2, is disposed the hinged shelf3, provided with slides 13 and 51 which are exactly connected up withthe slides and 30 of the table 2. The shelf 3 is, at its upper part,connected a; two slides 14 located in the same plane and extendingtowards the stereotype outfit. The assembly is pivoted on'an horizontalaxis 35 (FIGS. 6 and 7). The shelf 3 is held in prolongation of thestationary table 2 by means of a pawl (FIG. 6) which can be operated bymeans of a finger 16. The whole composition, 31, is brought in slidingupon the plate 3 and is held in position, infron't and at rear, by twohinged guides 11 (shown as turned down) and 17 (shown as turned up) andby a small rule which is a part of a frame hinged upon the shelf 3 andwhich is applied upon the upper part of the set of matrices 31 when thisset has been brought upon the shelf 3 in the position illustrated inFIGURE 2. The two hinged guides 11 and 17 form a fork framing the set ofmatrices. The fork is interdependent with a transferring carriage 44(FIGURE 8) which slides on the two rails 14 integral with the shelf 3.The carriage, as it will be explained in detail hereafter, brings theset of matrices up to the stereotype outfit.

By pressing on the finger 16, the shelf 3 is unlocked and comesautomatically in the vertical position: the transferring carriage comesin line with a horizontal passage-way leading to the head 19 of theelevator of the stereotype outfit, said head being at that moment at thetop of its vertical passage-way.

During the vertical tilting down of shelf 3, guides 11 and 17 followand, at the end of the travel, the movable shutter supporting the smallrule 12 is locked in position (FIGURE 7) holding in place the matrices.An adjustable alignment stop 38 (FIGURE 1) is provided on the plate 39of the frame upon which rests the shelf 3 when in vertical position.

The carriage 44 (FIGURE 6) supporting the fork of the guides 11, 17framing the matrices, is pushed on the rails 14 by means of the lever 8(FIGURE 1) hinged upon a transverse axle 9 of the frame 1; the workinghandle 7 of the lever is shown above the desk. A connecting-rod 33,hinged upon the lever 8 in 18 (FIGURE 6) actuates at its end a slide 34(FIGURE 8) movable upon the longitudinal horizontal axle 35. The turningof this slide is prevented by the engagement of log 36, integral withsaid slide, with an axis 37 parallel to axis 35.

As shown in FIGURE 8, this slide 34 is actuated by a strap 40 with whichit is interconnected by axis 41: the strap 40 is hinged at the end ofthe connecting-rod 33 (FIG. 6). The carriage 44 (FIGURES 6 and 8)supports the guides 11 and 17 which form the fork framing the set ofmatrices: it is driven by the finger 42 engaged in a groove 52 in theslide 34.

When the shelf 3 is turned down vertically, the set of matrices 31(maintained upon the rail 13 of the shelf between the guides 11, 17forming the sliding fork interconnected with the carriage 44), comes infront of a 4 65, through the mould 61 in which the line-block 66 hasbeen stereotyped.

When the lever 8 is actuated, the forked traveller 44 drives the set ofmatrices through the horizontal passageway in the verticallydisplaceable carriage so called elevator head which brings it instereotyping position at the foot of its slide, that is in front of themould of the disc 60 which has the needed size, after said disc has beenadaquately rotated, as is well known in Linotype machines.

An additional push upon the handle 7 compresses the spring 22 mounted onthe connecting rod 33 and starts the automatic stereotyping cycle.

If it is desired to double or to triple the line, it suffices to actuateonce or twice more the lever 8. 'For an important series, it is possibleto use, in a known way, an automatic device which can be easilycontrived. At the top of the vertical passage-way of the elevator, in 25(FIGURE 5) is arranged a safety' device to prevent a wrong working ofthe carriage during the moulding of the line. Therefore, anadjustablestop 26 (FIG. 10) allows to adjust the displacement height of theelevator carriage.

The operator, after composing'on the stationary table 2 a line withmatrices having a suitable size, pushes, through the block 6, theassembly 31- 10 up to the guide 17 of the carriage of the tilting shelf3; he lowers then the supporting rule 12 and turns down the shelf 3,actuates the lever 8 to bring the sliding carriage with the matrices andspace-bands up to the elevator head (FIGURES 3 and 4). -By exerting anadditional push upon the handle 7 (FIGURE 5), he starts the stereotypingcycle; an adjustable stop 53, interconnected with the lower part oflever 8, bears, at the end of its travel, upon a heel 54 connected by asmall rod 55 (FIG. 5) with the stereotyping device; the elevatorcarriage 19 comes down, the line is stereotyped, the elevator goes upanew. Finally, after an adequate rotation of the mould disc 60, thestereotyped line is ejected from the mould 61 by means of the ejectingdevice shown on FIGURE 13. It is not necessary to wait for the end ofthe cycle to bring backwards the line of matrices: this operation can becarried out as soon as the elevator carriage has reached the stop 26(FIG. 10) which consists in a threaded stem engaging a screw 27interconnected with the frame 1.

At that moment, as will beexplained hereafter, the transfer carriage 44,which was locked during the up and down motion of the head in theelevator, is released and comes back to its position in FIGURE 1.

During the reciprocating motion of the carriage of the elevator, thematrices are guided, without any possible hooking on, between the guides11 and 17; the stem 21 (FIGURES l, 2, 4, 6), pushing the space-bandsdownhorizontal passage-way supported by the frame 1 and to push by alink 63 the blade 64 of an ejector slide wards the upper part 28 (FIG..10, 11) of the elevator head, abuts against the stop 26 which isvertically adjust able; this elevator head 28, when in abutment, bringsabout the spacing apart of the piece. 29 which pivots upon axis 43 andis guided by the play of the screw 44 in the slot 46. A finger 47 (FIG.9), supported by the end 48 of the carriage 44, co-operates with a notch49 provided in the face 50 of the plate 29.

As shown in FIGURE 11, the plate 29 moves aside and releases thetransferring carriage which can move backwards. This displacement isthen possible as soon as the elevator head is in its upper position andabuts against the stop 26.

Two typographers can effectively run the machine in same time. One (orseveral) typographer will compose the lines in hand composing sticks andthe other stereotypes these composing sticks and places backthe matricesin the bin as they come back. The matrices are chosen (and, after use,replaced) in a case (bin with compartments) of. an unsual pattern andthe composing of the set of matrices is made in the same way as withmovable types* and a hand composing stick. The lines justifying requiresonly a few seconds as it only comes down to the placing of the guides 11and 17 of the transferring carriage and the adjustment of the jaws (notshown) locking the set of matrices. v As the sterotyping cycle requiresonly 12 seconds, it is possible to sterotype five times in a minute thesame' line with an automatic repeating device of a known type, mountedupon the sterotype outfit.

The various moulds (four to six for instance) of the mould disc of thestereotype outfit allow, in the special work for which this machine isintended, to obtain a great diversity and a great output either ofline-blocks with varied large body sizes, either of lines, rules andspacings of different dimensions, as it suffices for each line-block tochoose the suitable mould by rotating the disc of the requested angle.In addition, a same block can be automatically repeated as many times asdesired.

' All these advantages are not to be found in the known auxiliarytypographical casting machines, particularly because they do not possessa sterotype outfit provided with several moulds of various sizes.

What is claimedis: I w

1. Auxiliary typographical casting machine including a hand composingstick, a stationary table, two rails integral with said stationary tableand fitted to receive, on the one hand the line of matrices composed insaid hand composing stick, and on the other a hand pushing-rod, atilting shelf mounted so as to be brought down, from its horizontalposition in prolongation of said stationary table to a lower verticalposition, two rails integral with said tilting shelf and disposed so asto be respectively in prolongation of the two rails integral with saidstationary table when the tilting shelf is in the horizontal position,

whereby the line of matrices placed on one of the rails integral withthe stationary table can be brought on the corresponding rail of thetilting shelf in its horizontal position by pushing said hand pushing-rdalong the other rail of said stationary table, a small pivoting ruledisposed so as to tighten the line of matrices against the tilting shelfand to prevent said line from parting from the rail whensaid tiltingshelf is in the vertical position, a horizontal passage-way disposed sothat the line of matrices placed upon the tilting shelf is broughtfacing its entrance when said tilting shelf is turned down to thevertical position, a stereotype outfit with a mould disc provided withmoulds of different sizes and disposed below the outlet of saidhorizontal passage-way, means to transfer the line of matrices from saidtilting shelf to the outlet of said horizontal passage-way, and elevatorcarriage disposed to bring down the line of matrices from the outlet ofthe horizontal passage-way to the mouth of the mould having the suitablesize.

2. Auxiliary typographical casting machine according to claim 3, inwhich the means to transfer the line of matrices from the tilting shelfto the outlet of thehorizontal passage-way include rails parallel tosaid passageway, a carriage mounted to slide upon said rails, twopivoting arms interdependent with said carriage and disposed to framethe line of matrices placed on the tilting shelf and to tilt with saidshelf and an operating lever mounted to push said carriage sliding onits rails and to drive through the horizontal passage-way the line ofmatrices framed by said pivoting arms.

3. Auxiliary typographical casting machine including a hand composingstick, a stationary table, two rails integral with said stationary tableand fitted to receive, on the one hand the line of matrices composed insaid hand composing stick, and on the other a hand pushing-rod, atilting shelf mounted so .as to be brought down, from its horizontalposition in prolongation of said stationary table to a lower verticalposition, two rails integral with said tilting shelf and disposed so asto be respectively in prolongation of the two rails integral with saidstationary table when the tilting shelf is in the horizontal position,

whereby the line of'matrices placed on one'of' thezrails integral withthe stationary table can be brought on the corresponding rail of thetilting shelf in its horizontal position by pushing said handpushing-rod along'the other rail of said stationary table, a smallpivoting rule disposed so as to tighten the line of matrices against thetilting shelf and to prevent said line from parting from the rail whensaid tilting shelf is in the vertical position, a horizontal passage-waydisposed so that the line of matrices placed upon the tilting shelf isbrought facing its entrance when said tilting shelf is turned down tothe vertical position, a stereotype outfit with a mould disc providedwith moulds of different sizes and disposed below the outlet of saidhorizontal passage-way, rails parallel to said passage-way, a carriagemounted to slide upon said rails, two pivoting arms interdependent withsaid carriage and disposed: to frame the line of matrices placed on thetilting shelf and to tilt with said shelf an operating lever mounted topush said carriage sliding on its rails and to drive theli'ne ofmatrices framed by said pivoting arms up to the outlet of saidhorizontal passage-way, a spring connecting-rod, hinged upon saidoperating lever and mounted so as to start said stereotype outfit whenthe operating lever, at strokes end, abuts against an adjustable stop,and an elevator carriage disposed to bring down the line of matricesfrom the outlet of the horizontal passage-way to the mouth of the mouldhaving the suitable size.

4. Auxiliary typographical casting machine including a hand composingstick, a stationary table, two rails integral with said stationary tableand fitted to receive, on the one hand the line of matrices composed insaid hand composing stick, and on the other a hand pushing-rod, atilting shelf mounted so as to be brought down, from its horizontalposition prolongation of said stationary table to a'lower verticalposition, two rails integral with said tilting shelf and disposed so asto be respectively in pro long'ation of the two rails integral with saidstationary table when the tilting shelf is in the horizontal position,whereby the line of matrices placed on one of the rails integral withthe stationary table can be brought on the corresponding rail of thetilting shelf in its horizontal position by :pushing said handpushing-rod along the other rail of said stationary table, a smallpivoting rule disposed so as to "tighten the line of matrices againstthe tilting shelf and to prevent said line from parting from the railwhen said tilting shelf is in the vertical position, a horizontalpassage-way disposed so that the line of matrices placed upon thetilting shelf is brought facing its entrance when said tilting shelf isturned down to the vertical position, a stereotype outfit with a moulddisc provided with moulds of different sizes and disposed below theoutlet of said horizontal passage way, rails parallel to saidpassage-way, a carriage mounted to slide upon said rails, two pivotingarms interdependent with said carriage and disposed to frame the line ofmatrices placed on the tilting shelf and to tilt with said shelf anoperating lever mounted to push said carriage sliding on its rails andto drive the line of matrices framed by said pivoting arms up to theoutlet of said horizontal passage way, an elevator carriage disposed soas to bring down the line of matrices from the outlet of the horizontalpassage-way to the mouth of the mould of suitable size, a bolt fitted toautomatically lock said sliding carriage at the outlet of the horizontalframe, a finger arranged so as to release said automatic locking boltwhen actuated by the elevator carriage coming up anew, at the end ofsaid horizontal passage-way.

5. In a typographical casting machine of the kind which includes astereotype outfit with a moulddisc provided with several moulds ofdifferent sizes, the provision of a hand composing stick, a stationarytable, two rails integral with said stationary table and fitted toreceive, on the one hand the line of matrices composed in said handcornposing stick, and on the other a hand pushing-rod, a tilting shelfmounted so as to be brought down, from its horizontal position inprolongation of said stationary table to alower vertical position, tworails integral with said tilting shelf and disposed so as to berespectively in prolongation of the two rails integral with saidstationary table when the tilting shelf is in the horizontal position,whereby the line of matrices placed on one of the rails integral withthe stationary table can be brought on the corresponding rail of thetilting shelf in its horizontal position by pushing said handpushing-rod along the other rail of said stationary table, a smallpivoting rule disposed so as to tighten the line of matrices against thetilting shelf and to prevent said line from parting from the rail whensaid tilting shelf is in the vertical position, a horizontal passagewaydisposed so that the line of matrices placed upon the tilting shelf isbrought facing its entrance when said tilting shelf is turned down tothe vertical position, means to transfer the line of matrices from saidtilting shelf to the outlet of said horizontal passage-way, and anelevator carriage disposed to bring down the line of matrices from theoutlet of the horizontal passage-way to the mouth of the mould havingthe suitable size.

6. .In a typographical casting machine of the kind which includes astereotype outfit with a mould disc provided with several moulds ofdifferent sizes, the provision of a hand composing stick, a stationarytable, two rails integral with said stationary table and fitted toreceive, on the one hand the line of matrices composeed in said handcomposing stick, and on the other a hand pushingrod, a tilting shelfmounted so as to be brought down, from its horizontal position inprolongation of said stationary table to a lower vertical position, tworails integral with said tilting shelf and disposed so as to berespectively in prolongation of the two rails integral with saidstationary table when the tilting shelf is in the horizontal position,whereby the line of matrices placed on one of the rails integral withthe stationary table can be brought on the corresponding rail of thetilting shelf in its horizontal position by pushing said handpushing-rod along the other rail of said stationary table, a smallpivoting rule disposed so as to tighten the line of matrices against thetilting shelf and to prevent said line from parting from the rail whensaid tilting shelf is in the vertical position, a horizontal passage-waydisposed so that the line of matrices placed upon the tilting shelf isbrought facing its 8 entrance when said tilting shelf is turned down tothe ver-' tical position, rails parallel to said passage-way, a carriagemounted to slide upon said rails, two pivoting arms interdependent withsaid carriage and disposed to frame the line of matrices placed on thetilting shelf and to tilt with said shelf, anoperating lever mounted topush said carriage sliding on its rails and to drive the line ofmatrices framed by said pivoting arms up to the outlet ofsaid horizontalpassage-way, a spring connecting-rod, hinged upon said operating leverand mounted so as to start said stereotype outfit when the operatinglever, at strokes end, abuts against an adjustable stop, and an elevatorcarriage disposed to bring down the line of matrices from the outlet ofthe horizontal passage-way to the mouth of the mould having the suitablesize. r

7. In atypographical casting machine of the kind which includes astereotype outfit with a vertical :mould disc provided with severalmoulds of difierent sizes, means for composing by hand a line ofmatrices, a stationary table fitted to receive said line of matrices,and means to trans fer the line of matrices from said stationary tableto the mouth of the mould having the suitable size, the provision of atilting shelf mounted so as to be brought down, from an horizontalposition in prolongation of said stationary table, in which positionsaid shelf is adapted to receive from the stationary table the line ofmatrices with their engraved faces being horizontally disposed, to alower vertical position, in which the engraved faces of the matrices arevertically disposed as the mouth of the mold, the tilting shelf beingfurther provided with means for retaining the line of matrices when saidshelf is brought down to its vertical position.

8. A typographical casting machine according to claim 7, comprisingfurther hand operatable means for automatically actuating by just onemotion of the hand, but in a suitable succession, the transfer means ofthe line of matrices and the stereotype outfit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,481,442 Stevenson Jan. 22, 1924 1,980,110 Stouges Nov. 6, 19342,584,550 Carnes Feb. 5, 1952

